Closure attaching and sealing means



Jan. 14, 1958 w. J. EKEY CLOSURE ATTACHI'NG AND SEALING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1957 .FlG-l INVENTOR. WILLIAM J. EKEY BY 7 ATTORNEYS Jan. 14, 1958 w. J. EKEY 2,820,163

CLOSURE ATTACHING AND SEALING MEANS Filed Jan. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG"?- FIG-4 l4 l3 l0 I FIG 6 INVENTOR. WILLIAM J. EKEY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,820,163 CLOSURE ATTACHING AND SEALING MEANS William J. Ekey, Ashland, Ohio, assignor to The F. E. Myers & Bro. Co., Ashland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 28, 1957, Serial No. 636,648 7 Claims. (Cl. 310-87) This invention relates to closure members and to combination shells and closure members, and is particularly concerned with such combinations wherein it is desirable that the closure be contained within the limits of the shell or container.

In connection with many shells or containers, 1t 18 desirable for the overall diameter to be maintained as small as possible; and, therefore, it is desirable for the end closures of such members to be no larger than the diameter of the member that it closes. A particular instance is encountered in connection with submersible motors that are associated with pump units that are lowered into well casings.

The space limitations of an installation of this nature are quite strict and, for this reason, it is important for there to be as much clearance about the tubular motor casing as possible.

Similarly, it is extremely important for the frame or shell of a motor of this nature to be as strong as possible, thereby to prevent the possibility of the motor shell cracking or breaking, and also to eliminate the expense of forming threads in the shell member.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an end closure member for a shell or container which does not extend outwardly beyond the limits of the shell or container which it closes.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an attaching means for an end closure for a shell or containerwhich eliminates the use of threads internally of the shell.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an end closure for a shell or container in which neither the end closure nor the attaching means therefor extend outwardly beyond the limits of the shell or container.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a closure member and an attaching arrangement therefor of the nature referred to, and including in combination therewith an improved simple sealing arrangement that will prevent the passage of liquid into or out of the shell member.

If is also an object of this invention to provide an end closure and an attaching means therefor of the nature referred to which will greatly facilitate the assembling and disassembling of the unit, while at the same time providing for an extremely strong and reliable connection of the end closure to the shell or container.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing a typical motor arrangement having end closure members according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view indicated by line 2-2 on figure 1, showing in section tl e end closure member at 2,820,153 Patented Jan. 14, 1958 ice one end of the shell and the attaching means by which the end closure is connected with the shell;

Figure 3 is a plan sectional view indicated by line 3-3 on Figure 2 showing the manner in which the attaching bolt engages a lug that extends into an aperture in the wall of the shell;

Figure 4- is a fragmentary view, similar to Figure 2, but showing a different arrangement of the attaching bolt;

Figure 5 is perspective view showing the clamping bolt and the yoke-like lug of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 5, but showing a somewhat different type of lug or yoke.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, Figure 1 shows a submersible pump arrangement in which there is a motor having an outer container or sleeve-like shell 1. Contained within the sleeve-like shell are the stator and rotor of the motor and the bearings for the opposite ends of the shaft and the sealing means which prevent liquid from entering and leaving the interior of the motor. There may be mounted on the end of the motor an oil reservoir for maintaining a supply of lubricant to the bearings of the motor to maintain the motor lubricated for as long as it is to remain within the well.

According to the present invention, the diameter of the motor assembly is maintained as small as possible without threading the tubular shell, and this is accomplished according to the present invention by providing the shell 1 with slots 2 spaced thereabout, for example four in number, in which are located the lugs or yokes 3 that are engaged by the clamping bolts 4 that extend out through the closure and bearing support elements 5 and 6; and, have threaded to their outer ends the nuts 7.

As will be seen in Figures 2 and 3, each of the bolts 4 is provided adjacent its inner end with the opposed flats 58 so as to receive the lugs of the pertaining yoke or lug 3. It will also be seen in Figure 2 that the lower end of each bolt 4 is received in a drilled hole 9 provided in the bottom end of the pocket or recess 10, into which the yoke or lug extends so that the bottom end of the clamping bolt is supported against lateral deflection which might occur due to the load imposed thereon when the assembly is tightened.

As will also be seen in Figure 2, the closure member 6 carries a bearing 11 at its inner end in which the output shaft 12 of the drive motor is supported. Closure member 6 is of the same diameter as shell 1 and abuts the end thereof and fits relatively closely inside the shell. To provide for a seal between the shell and closure member 6, the closure member is annularly grooved at 13, and located in the groove is resilient rubber-like sealing 0 ring 14.

The section shown in Figure 2 is at the end of the motor where the drive shaft projects outwardly, and for this reason the bearing support member 5 is provided, associated with closure member 6 and clamped in position by the nuts 7. Member 5 carries a bearing 15 in which shaft 12 is supported, and is sealed to closure member 6 by the resilient rubber-like annular O ring 16, similar to the manner in which closure member 6 is sealed within shell 1.

Located between the two members 5 and 6 is an additional seal element generally indicated at 17, and which operates to prevent any leakage from passing between shaft 12 and bearing 15; and, thence to the space between members 5 and 6, and then downwardly along shaft 12 between the shaft and the bearing 11. This seal likewise prevents flow of fluid in the opposite direction.

At the opposite end of the motor, since the shaft does not project outwardly, the closure member may consist of a single element without a central aperture for the shaft and, instead, merely provide a bearing therefor and being attached to the shell in the same manner as described above.

In the event that it is desired to maintain an oil reservoir at the bottom of the motor, the oil reservoir may be suspended as by means of a separate element, such as the element 5 described above, or such a reservoir may be formed integrally with the closure element proper if so desired. if any case, the construction described above would be employed wherein O ring seal means would seal between the end closure and the shell and clamping of the end closure to the shell would be accomplished by lugs or yokes extending through apertures in the shell and engaging clamp bolts extending out the end through the closure member.

The Figure 4 construction is the same as the Figure 2 construction, and bears the same reference numerals, except that the clamping bolts 4 do not have their inner ends supported by a recess as is illustrated in Figure 2. Instead, the bore through which the bolts pass from closure member 6 is relied on to prevent the bolt from deflecting more than an allowable degree when loaded.

in the perspective View in Figure 5, it will be observed that the yoke or lug 3 is provided with a shoulder 2t which engages the inside wall of the shell 1 when the unit is assembled. This shoulder prevents any outward movement of the lugs or yokes after the nuts 7 have been tightened on the clamp bolts, and effects a more positive assembly which prevents the yokes from slipping out even if the nuts somewhat loose. This shoulder may be either straight or arcuate and substantially equivalent results will obtain.

it will be appreciated that the yokes may be formed without the shoulder as indicated at 21 in Figure 5, and

for many classes of use this type of yoke or lug would be perfectly satisfactory. For such purposes as submersible motor installations, however, the yoke or lug of Figure 6 is preferred because of the extreme importance of such an assembly being proof against accidentally loosening of the fastenings thereof.

In assembling the arrangement described, it will be evident that the clamping bolts are inserted in the holes provided theerfor, and then the yokes are slipped over the flats 8 provided on the bolts, and then the nuts on the ends of the bolts are drawn up tight. This completes the assembly, and the unit is fluid-tight, and the assembly is extremely strong, because the shell is not materially weakened by the apertures provided therein as it would be if it were provided with threads for engagement by the closure member.

It is to be noted that there are no threads inside the shell or container pertaining to the end closure either within the shell or the closure or on the inner ends of the attaching bolts. Further, the arrangement provides for great ease of assembly due to the absence of critical fits and mating threads.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions; and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination; a cylindrical shell, a member slidably fitting in the end of said shell and engaging the end edge thereof, apertures in the wall of said shell spaced about the member and recesses in the member registering with said apertures, said member having axial bores extending from the outer end into said recesses, rods in the bores adapted for insertion therein from the outer end of said member, notches in the rods in said recesses lugs or yokes insertable into said apertures and recesses from outside the shell and being bifurcated so as to en gage the notches in said rods, nuts on the outer ends of said rods to pull the yokes or lugs up against the outer edges of the apertures thereby to .fix the closure member in the end ofthe shell,v and resilient annular sealing .0 ring "I, for some reason or other, become means between the member and the shell inwardly of the shell from said apertures.

2. In combination; a cylindrical shell, a member slidably fitting in the end of said shell and engaging the end edge thereof, apertures in the wall of said shell spaced about the member and recesses in the member registering with said apertures, said member having axial bores extending from the outer end into said recesses, rods in the bores adapted for insertion therein from the outer end of said member, lugs or yokes insertable into said apertures and recesses from outside the shell and being bifurcated so as to engage said rods, nuts on the outer ends of said rods to pull the yokes or lugs up against the outer edges of the apertures thereby to fix the closure member in the end of the shell, and resilient annular sealing O ring means between the member and the shell inwardly of the shell from said apertures, said rods being provided with notches and said yoke or lug means engaging the said notches thereby to form a positive connection between the rods and the yokes or lugs and to hold the rods against rotation.

3. In combination; a cylindrical shell, a closure member slidably fitting the end of the shell and engaging the end edge thereof, apertures in the side wall of the shell, recesses in the member registering with said apertures, axial bores in said member extending from the outer end thereof into the member beyond said recesses, rods extending into said bores and through said recesses and having notches in opposite sides thereof in the recesses, bifurcated yokes adapted for insertion into said recesses through said apertures and closely fitting over the notches on said rods, said yokes extending to the region of the outer surface of said shell, nuts on the outer ends of the rods to pull the yokes up against the outer edges of the apertures thereby to clamp the member in the end of the shell, and sealing means between the member and shell carried by the member to engage the shell inwardly from the said apertures.

4. In combination; a cylindrical shell, a closure member in the end of the shell having means engaging the end edge of the shell, an aperture in the shell, a recess in the member registering with the aperture, an axial bore in the member from the outer end thereof communieating with the recess, a rod slidable into the bore from the outer end of the member and having notches in the opposite sides in the region of the recess, a bifurcated yoke adapted for embracing the notches on the rod and insertable thereon from outside the shell through said aperture, a nut on the outer end of the rod to pull the lug up tight against the outer edge of the aperture to clamp the member in the shell, and seal means between the member and the 'shell inwardly from the aperture, said lug comprising an outwardly facing shoulder on the side thereof toward the end of the shell to engage the inside of the shell whereby the yoke and shell are in interlocked engagement when the nut is pulled up tight.

5. In combination; a cylindrical shell, a closure member in the end of the shell having means engaging the end edge of the shell, an aperture in the shell, a recess in themember registering with the aperture, an axial bore in the member from the outer end thereof communicating with the recess, a rod slidable into the bore from the outer end of the member and having notches in its opposite sides in the region of the recess, a bifurcated yoke adapted for embracing the notches on the rod and insertable thereon from outside the shell through said aperture, a nut on the outer end of the rod to pull the lug up tight against the outer edge of the aperture to clamp the member in the shell, and seal means between the member and the shell inwardly from the aperture, said bore extending into the member beyond the recess and said rod also extending completely through the recess whereby it has a sides of the recess thereby rod under twisting loads,

bearing in the bore on both preventing deflection of the and there being 1 a shoulder *on the lug engaging the inside of the shell for preventing the ing from moving laterally outwardly in said aperture and recess after the said nut has been tightened.

6. In combination; a shell, a closure member slidably fitting into the end of the shell and engaging the end edge thereof, an aperture in the wall of the shell, and a recess in the member registering with the aperture, a rod extending into said member and across the recess and having notches in the opposite sides thereof thereon in the recess, a bifurcated yoke extending through said aperture into the recess and embracing the notches of said rod, the outer end of the rod being threaded, a nut on the outer end of the rod for pulling the yoke up tight against the outer edge of the aperture to clamp the member in the shell, seal means between the member and shell inwardly of the aperture, a shaft extending into the shell along the axis thereof, a bearing in the member rotatably supporting the shaft, a bearing support element mounted in the outer end of said member and sealed thereto and retained in position by said nut, a bearing carried by the bearing support element and engaging the shaft and seal means between the bearing support element and the shaft and between the bearing support element and closure member.

7. An electric motor especially adapted for being associated with a submersible pump, a tubular shell, end closure members in the shell, each closure member engaging the adjacent end edge of the shell, each closure memher having seal means between it and the shell, an aperture in each end of the shell outwardly from the adjacent said seal means, a recess in each closure member registering with the pertaining aperture, an axial bore in each closure member opening into the recess therein, a rod in each bore having a threaded end toward the outside of the closure member and having an end in the recess provided in the notches on the opposite sides, and a bifurcated yoke insertable into each said recess through the pertaining aperture in the shell for engaging the notches in the rod in the recess, each yoke engaging the outer edge of the aperture when the rod is pulled outwardly in the bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,205,883 Gay Nov. 21, 1916 2,525,217 Glitsch Oct. 10, 1950 2,722,618 Dochterman Nov. 1, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 517,838 Germany Feb. 7, 1931 

